The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession

The holiday season is right around the corner. That makes now a good time to start thinking about putting together a solid marketing plan. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Darren and Kristin talk about goals, groups, planning and promotion, when practitioners should begin their marketing initiatives, and whether price discounts are an effective seasonal-marketing strategy.   Hosts: Darren Buf...

A new massage therapist has a client who presents some special challenges: she has chronic pain, uses a lot of medications to manage it, wants deep work, and no matter what the MT does, the client seems to want more. The MT feels out of their depth and at a loss for how to help this client improve. In this special episode we talk about those feelings of inadequacy with our clients who seem to be e...

The Lymphatic System may not be the most popular of the anatomical systems, but understanding this unsung hero is fundamental to the work we do. Join Allison as she describes what lymph is, what this system does, and how it compares to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers of the New York City subway system. This beautifully intricate component of who we are deserves a deeper understan...

Brilliance is in all aspects of our experience: our relationships, our talent, our performance, our outlook. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with author Jackie Insinger about how the science of positive psychology ignites and engages our work, steps MTs can take to improve their communication with colleagues, family, and friends, and the difference between being grea...

A client is a bodybuilder. He tells his massage therapist that he has started using anabolic steroids to help him achieve his goals. What does this mean? Are there risks for massage—for the client? For the therapist? How much of this is really our business, and what does it mean in relation to other possible drug use among our clients? It's a sticky topic, with few solid answers.   Sponsors:     ...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Nathan Nordstrom about the challenges and benefits of being either an employee, self-employed, or an independent contractor, the benefits of understanding marketing – even as an employee – and the state of franchises since the COVID pandemic. Nate became a massage therapist in 2001. He is licensed in several states and is board-ce...

A client who is a nurse from the Philippines has a positive tuberculosis test. "It's latent," she claims. "Everyone in the Philippines tests positive for TB." Could this be true? Is she infectious? Is it safe for her to receive massage? Tuberculosis, an infection with a long, deep impact on our history and culture, is not a disease of the past; it is very much all around us. Is this something we s...

David Lesondak has an impressive resume. A structural integrator who has helped countless clients, he is also an educator, a podcaster, and an author. But the thread through all of that: his fascination with fascia. Listen to David's story and learn about the journey of a science nerd turned fascia guru. His pure love of how the human form functions is contagious and inspirational, to say the leas...

Each muscle is important to the kinematic function of the body, and some muscles stand out more than others—muscles that Dr. Joe Muscolino can only describe as "Cool!" In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Dr. Joe about his new article in the September/October issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine, "Cool Muscles: Confessions of an Anatomy Geek," and some that he feels...

Til Luchau of Advanced Trainings joined me in real space, and we took advantage of that opportunity to record an I Have a Client Who story regarding a person (Til's wife, in fact) who has chronic sciatic pain that has never fully resolved, despite receiving the finest manual therapy available. We discuss what happens when all our best skills don't get the results we hope for, and what it means to...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren are joined by the newly elected president of the Massage Therapy Foundation, Adrienne Asta, to discuss her passion for massage, what drew her to the foundation's work, upcoming initiatives, and how to get involved with the foundation. Adrienne Asta has been practicing massage since 2001 and is co-owner of Center 4 Self-Care in Tucson, Ariz....

Diane Matkowski, from Massage Mentor Institute, came for a visit, so we took the opportunity to do an in-person IHACW podcast. Diane describes a reluctant client who really didn't want to be there. What's more, the client had a condition that was a bit intimidating: frozen shoulder. But with patience, great touch and sensitivity, Diane resolved the situation, winning over a client who became an en...

The suboccipital muscles have a lot more in common with deep space than one might think. The exquisite balance of all the dimensions that define us are evidenced in the structure and function of this particular cluster of muscles. Seemingly warping our individual universes, the suboccipital muscles require an awareness of the time-space continuum to help navigate how we approach this region with o...

Successful companies, employers, and solo practitioners are shifting their strategies to embrace four key capacities that will drive future business: digital, clear, fluid, and fast. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Jamie Notter, author of When Millennials Take Over: Preparing for the Ridiculously Optimistic Future of Business , about what is happening generation...

A client is sore and has joint pain in multiple locations. She is easily triggered into painful spasms. And . . . she has an unusual form of spina bifida. What is spina bifida? What makes this person's experience of it unique? And what opportunities are here for massage therapy to be helpful?   Sponsors:      Books of Discovery:  www.booksofdiscovery.com      Advanced-Trainings: www.advanced-train...

Where do holistic health, self-empowerment, neuroscience, and conscious culture intersect? Kathleen Gramzay has the answer. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Kathleen, developer of Kinessage® Mindful Resilience, about how she developed this practice, how Kinessage differs from other modalities, and why massage therapy self-care was so important in her development...

A client has PAH—and not just regular PAH, he has advanced PAH. No, he's not spitting expletives—he has pulmonary arterial hypertension, a chronic, progressive, and ultimately terminal lung condition. He loves massage, but his therapist is concerned about the risk that blood clots might play in his disease. And—guess what—he has a history of multiple blood clots in his lungs. Is there a way to wor...

Whitney Lowe, the somewhat reserved but well-researched massage therapist and educator, has a story to tell. It is one that spans the country, bridges timelines, and is driven by the deep desire to learn. His journey from Atlanta to Oregon is full of crossroads. But through it all, his vision and intrinsic curiosity saw him through. And we hope he never stops. Join us as we listen to Whitney share...

For more than 30 years, Leigh Ankrum continues to say yes. After decades of training around the world, she has brought together multiple modalities into one comprehensive, paradigm-shifting program.  In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Leigh Ankrum, founder, and director of the Ankrum Institute, about functional bodywork and how it differs from a normal bodywork ses...

We're not done with COVID, not by a long shot (public behavior notwithstanding), and now we have warning signals of  another  contagious viral infection that is behaving in ways we haven't seen before—monkeypox. Before you panic, let's remember that information is the best defense. So, we're giving you some background and answering some questions about monkeypox you can use to take appropriate act...

CBD is being incorporated into more and more massage practices, but breaking cannabinoid stigmas can be challenging. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Liz Aigner, director of education for Color Up, about the myths vs. facts surrounding CBD, understanding the difference between full spectrum and pure CBD, resources for educating clients, and what to do if you plan...

I received two letters in one week asking about massage in the context of allergies, allergy shots, and insect stings. What are best practices for clients who are receiving allergy shots? What about for clients who were recently stung? Is it possible that massage might create new allergies, or create a dangerous situation for a client who has recently been stung?   Sponsors:      Books of Discover...

The list of attachment sites of the Latissimus Dorsi muscle is extensive. Equally as daunting is the list of movements made possible by this back muscle masquerading as a shoulder muscle. To know the lats is to love the lats. Finding the ability to move with that which is constantly moving just might be the trick when it comes to working on the Latissimus Dorsi.               Contact Allison Denne...

Facial massage has a relaxing and rejuvenating effect, helping us look and feel better. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with author, esthetician, and facial massage expert Abigail James about her go-to facial massage techniques, the benefits of cold-water therapy on the skin, incorporating Gua Sha into your practice, and her thoughts on massage therapists becoming es...

A person has chronic upper back pain and severe problems with her aorta, requiring surgery that she didn't survive. Afterwards, her surgeon suggests that her back pain could be a referral from her aorta. How often do internal organs refer pain to the skin and musculature? And how do we recognize it when it happens? What is the mechanism? And can it ever happen in reverse, e.g., can skeletal muscle...